Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Aik Alif is written by Bulleh Shah in which he asks people to stop studying all that science, education and spiritual knowledge they are studying, because all that is not important when you haven't studied your own self.

Here he has shown the importance of Ik Alif. Alif is the first alphabet of Urdu script. It also means "1" and Bulleh Shah tells that all you need is "Alif" meaning oneness or Unity. We must see each one of us as 1. Everything in this universe is just Alif. This is another self introspecting song after Ali Zafar - Naheen Re Naheen

Kaisi nayya? Kya manjhdhaar…
[the boat and the flowing waters do not matter]

Bas kareen o yaar
[stop it all my friend]

Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar
[stop seeking all this knowledge my friend]

Allah Sayyaan Allah Sayyaan
[God is Greatness, God is All]

First part is sung by Sain Zahoor a leading Sufi Musician from Pakistan. He has won BBC voice of the year 2006. After his verse comes the melodious Mandolin that Noori plays, which infact takes the song to a new place.

We can see the transition in verses, first Sain Zahoor sings all the contradicting things one does in the life. Like doing everything related to the outside world but not looking inside himself. When the next part comes, it talks about some beautiful lines like "Hum mann ke darya me doobe, Kaisi nayya ? Kya Manjhdhaar.... " All we need is drown inside ourselves in search of our soul. And while we are drowned then what is a Boat and which way the water flows is just out of question.
Similarly the lines Bas kareen o yaar, Ilm-oun bas kareen o yaar are amazingly heart melting. They just mean a lot. Like telling a person who was so proud of his knowledge and everything and you just show him that he is nothing.

In the life of Bullah Shah, the great saint of Panjab, one reads a most instructive account of his early training when he was sent to school with boys of his own age. The teacher taught him Alif, the first letter of the Arabic alphabet. The other boys in his class finished the whole alphabet set while he was mastering the same letter. When weeks had passed, and the teacher saw that the child did not advance any further than the first letter Alif, he thought that he must be deficient and sent him home to his parents, saying, 'Your boy is deficient, I cannot teach him.'

The parents did all in their power for him, placing him under the tuition of various teachers, but he made no progress. They were disappointed, and the boy in the end escaped from home, so that he should no longer be a burden to his own people. He then lived in the forest and saw the manifestation of Alif which has taken form in the forest as the grass, the leaf, the tree, branch, fruit, and flower; and the same Alif was manifested as the mountain and hill, the stones and rocks; and he witnessed the same as a germ, insect, bird and beast, and the same Alif in himself and others. He thought of one, saw one, felt one, realized one, and none else besides.

After mastering this lesson thoroughly he returned to pay his respects to his old teacher who had expelled him from school. The teacher, absorbed in the vision of variety, had long ago forgotten him; but Bullah Shah could not forget his old teacher who had taught him his first and most inspiring lesson which had occupied almost all his life. He bowed most humbly before the teacher and said, 'I have prepared the lesson you so kindly taught me; will you teach me anything more there may be to learn?' The teacher laughed at him and thought to himself, 'After all this time this simpleton has remembered me.' Bullah Shah asked permission to write the lesson, and the teacher replied in jest, 'Write on this wall.' He then made the sign of Alif on the wall, and it divided into two parts. The teacher was astounded at this wonderful miracle and said, 'Thou art my teacher! That which thou hast learnt in the one letter Alif, I have not been able to master with all my learning,' and Bullah Shah sang this song:

Oh! friend now quit thy learning,
One Alif is all thou dost need.
By learning thou hast loaded my mind,
With books thou hast filled up thy room.
But the true knowledge was lost by pursuing the false, So quit now, O friend, the pursuit of thy learning.

Every form seems to be derived from another, all figures being derived from Alif, which is originally derived from a dot and represents zero, nothingness. It is that nothingness which creates the first form Alif. It is natural for everyone when writing to make a dot as soon as the pen touches the paper, and the letters forming the words hide the origin. In like manner the origin of the One Being is hidden in His manifestation. That is why Allah, whose name comes from Alif, is hidden under His own manifestation. The same form of Alif is the figure one in English, and in both aspects this form reveals its meaning. This meaning in its various forms is seen in all aspects of nature. As Omar Khayyam says:

My soul said, 'I desire the mystic knowledge:
Teach me if it be in thy power.'
I said, 'Alif.'

She answered, 'Say no more; If one is at home,
a single letter is enough.'
- Alif, Inayat Khan: The Way of Illumination

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

I had mentioned earlier in the song Kinara by Atif Aslam about this poem by Amir Khusro. Which is undoubtedly so beautiful and so famous that it has been sung by many great singers like Sabri brothers, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Zila Khan, Farid Ayaz, Abida Parveen and the line man qunto maula has been used in a numerous songs e.g Kinara (coke studio version), Satinder Sartaj and many more.

More than a song it is famous as a qawwali. And in most of the traditional qawwali gatherings this work of Amir Khusro is always performed. This particular Qawwali often throws people into ecstasy and can be even witnessed in present days at any Qawwali gatherings.

Amir Khusro was a mystic sufi poet of 13th century in India. He is termed as father of qawwali and is also known to invent what is known as Indian Tabla. He wrote his poetry mainly in Persian and sometimes in Hindavi.

The first line Man Kunto Maula is a Hadith (A saying of prophet Muhammed) and This was made on returning back from the Last Pilgrimage of the Prophet (year 632, just months before his passing), he stopped at a place called Ghadir Khum and delivered a sermon. The statement therein for the sufis is the confirmation of spiritual transmission in the path (leaving aside later politicized history related to it and giving rise of party of Ali, known as shiite e Ali).

I am writing for Zila Khan Version which I love the most and hope you too like it.

After you have listened to the song I am sure you must have found it echoing inside your heart. specially the lines Daaraa dil daaraa dil, dare-e-daani and yala la la la la la, la la la la lii. Actually I always end up singing these tunes along with the song, the desire to sing along is uncontrollable. Simply beautiful poem.

Also the last three stanzas are from a different poem by Khusro.

Hope you liked it Please Share and your comments/suggestions are welcomed. Feel free to contact us.

P.S. Will post the complete poem soon!! :)
Also Like us on facebook we need more fans.

Friday, December 3, 2010

This song by Mohit chauhan has made an irreplaceable place in my heart since I heard it for the first time. The album (Fitoor) has many songs and all of them have a folk touch of the native place of singer, Himachal. Other songs like Challeya and fitoor are also good, but I found this song worth sharing.

Enjoy the simplicity of the song.

The lyrics goes like -

A girl is asking her mother -

Mai ne meriye
Shimle di raahe chamba kitni durr

[ 'How far is Chamba ( where his beloved lives) from Shimla ( her mainland) ?'The pain of separation from her beloved is too much to withstand, so she is asking her mother the question. ]

Mai ne meriye
Shimle di raahe chamba kitni durr

O Shimle ni vasna, Kasauli ni vasna
Shimle ni vasna, Kasauli ni vasna

[ 'I don't want to settle in Shimla, nor Kasauli.'These places no more please her ( though being very beautiful naturally ) but she doesn't want to live in these places as her beloved is not here with her. ]

Chambe jaana zarur
Chambe jaana zarur

[ 'I must go to Chamba.'She longs to go to Chamba and see her beloved, live with him, be with him. ]

Mai ne meriye
Shimle di raahe chamba kitnik durr

O laaiya mohabbata durr daraje
O laaiya mohabbata durr daraje

[ 'I have selected my love from far away lands.' My favorite lines from the song - she is in the agony of separation from her lover, she is missing him so much that she condemns her decision to have chosen her love from such a far away place. ]

Aankhiyan to hoya kasoor
Aankhiyan to hoya kasoor

[ 'My eyes have made this mistake.'She loves him, and that is causing so much pain to her, so she is accusing her eyes to have chosen him as her love. Strange isn't it ? You are in pain, you do condemn your fate, you do condemn your decisions, sometimes you will even cry when the pain (of separation, hijr ) is unbearable, but you won't mind it just because you love him/her. ]

Mai ne meriye
Shimle di raahe chamba kitnik durr

O mein ta mahi de watna nu jaasan
O mein ta mahi de watna nu jaasan

[ 'I want to go to the land of my beloved.' The land where his beloved lives. The land that is distant. The distance which is the only reason of their separation. ]

Oh meri aankhiyan da noor
Oh meri aankhiyan da noor

[ 'He is the light, the shine in my eyes.'He means the world to her. Her eyes are desperate to see him. She has kept her love in her eyes and that has made her eyes look so beautiful. ]

Simply awesome. A song that talks of nature, of separation ,of love, and is garnished by lovely flute, acoustic guitar and chimes. The simplicity of the song makes it sink directly into your heart the very first time you listen to it.

Before ending the post I will like to share a few lines that go with the mood and talk about separation, the pain and the delight in the wait to see your love.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Recently I was going through Atif's song on youtube and suddenly I came across this song akhiyan nu rehn de, I wondered as I had never heard of this song in his albums. Well later I found that it was sung in an award function as a tribute to Reshma.
So in that awards function there were a couple of more songs of Reshma dedicated to her one being Lambi Judai by atif and Ni mein chori chori by Shehzaad Roy. Both are damn good. After these two comes Akhiyan nu rehn de. And it rapidly spread from my ears, through my veins till my heart and I decided this song deserves a post.
Simply amazing lyrics beautifully sung by reshman. And Atif too has done complete justice to the song.

Akhian Noon Rehn De Akhian De Kol Kol is a folk song originally sung by Reshman who is a famous Pakistani singer and has sung in Bollywood as well.

During Lux style awards 2008 Atif Aslam performed this track as a tribute to Reshman, who is suffering from cancer and currently lives in Dubai with her daughter. Due to her prolonged illness she has lost her singing as she is unable to pronounce words. But even then she is a living legend and a super star.

Here is the Reshma version

Akhian Noon Rehn De Akhian De Kol KolChan pardesiya bol bhavain na bol[Let your eyes stay close to mine, my beloved whether you talk or not ]Here she refers to her beloved as "pardesiya" as he lives far away from her.when she says whether you talk or don't talk she actually means the very sight of her lover is everything for her, and it does not matter if he talks to her or not.

[I have worn bangles of my true love's nameAfter a long time i have got these moments of loveeach and every moment is precious to memy beloved whether you talk or don't talk]

akhiyan nu rehn deakhiyan nu rehn de

A beautiful song that describes a lover's feelings, basically when they are separated and later when they meet. Now after all this longing a mere sight of the beloved means everything to the lover. And wishes she keeps seeing him, and never let him go again.

The song refers to heer-ranjha when the jogi is playing flute, it causes uneasiness to heer. And she is comparing her love to Ranjha.

Bangles is in the tradition that married women wear, thus she wears the bangles of his name means she has accepted him as her husband.

The song brings lots of feeling in the listeners mind as he imagines the very first line "Akhiyan nu rehn de...". Bring your eyes close to mine whether you talk to me or not....

Atif has a beautiful voice, and he is superb whenever he tries his hand at the folk songs. Like as in my previous post when he sang, Mae Ni, and Kinara. Everytime he sings folk it is just true magic. He should come up with more and more folk songs. I'm sure people will love him even more.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Although I was very much excited about the very idea of writing a music blog, a musical blog which does not belong to a particular genre and based on the sole idea to promote good or I must say awesome music, but my shyness and my laziness restricted me to write an article and that's why it took me so long after the launch of blog to write an article. Which could have been the problem even today but today i heard this song and i couldn't resist to express myself.

Emptiness(Lonely) :i just heard this song today and since then this song is all over my mind, i could actually feel this song, so soothing, amazing synthesizer, awesome lyrics and the hindi and english combination makes it the best.

"A three minute song that takes you on a long journey of memories", I was happy and was enjoying with friends, this song reminded me of the emptiness around me, But I felt good, it was the first time maybe when I really enjoyed "Loneliness", It brought back some amazing memories for me and i hope it does it for everyone.

Ho love of mine..with a song and a whine..You’re harsh and divine..like truths and a lie..

but the tale end's not here..I’ve nothing to fear..for my love is yell of giving an hold on…

in the bright emptiness..

in the room full of it..

is a cruel mistress ho ho o…

I feel the unrest..that nest all hollowness..for i have nowhere to go and im cold..

And i feel so lonely yea..There's a better place from this emptiness..And i’m so lonely yea..There's a better place from this emptiness..

yei yei yei ya….

Aa.. aa.. aa…..

Tune mere jaana..Kabhi nahi jana..Ishq mera dard mera.. haaye…

Tune mere jaana..Kabhi nahi jana..Ishq mera dard mera …

Aashiq teraaa..Bheed mein khoya rehta hai..

Jaane jahaan aaa..

Puchho toh itna kehta hai..

And i feel so lonely yea..

There s a better place from this emptiness..And i’m so lonely yea..

More about the song and the lyrics:

the lyrics of this song are just awesome, the song starts with a beautiful combination of (synthesizer, drums and acoustic guitar) and then the soothing lyrics. I just love the rhyme in the first part, the love of mine, with a song and a wine, you'r harsh and divine. The way the singer expresses his love for the girl is amazing, no doubt he picked the best way, he wrote a song and made his love immortal. The reprise is mixture of the english words "I am so lonely" with classical music "alaap" which makes the song more beautiful. When i heard the song for the first time, it was very hard for me to believe that the singer is an "Indian", but later in the song itself when the hindi lyrics arrive out of nowhere, this song becomes magical, I was struck with sheer brilliance of the guys behind this song.

Meaning of the part in "Hindi" for some of our international followers:

Basically the hindi part also expresses the same, love of the author towards the girl, but the hindi part is more fascinating. The meaning is: "girl, you never understood me or my love. It is my love and hence my pain. I was always there in the crowd, but you never realized and whenever someone asked me, I just said ....... I am so lonely ....... ".

"Tune nahi jaana, Kabhi nahi jaana", the case with almost everybody. Sometimes in life, everyone of you must have encountered a situation where the one you love the most, does not understand you, and the time when you want that one to be with you, all you get is "Emptiness/Loneliness". So, all I would say is "Feel This Song".

At last, I would just say that I loved this song, and hope all of you do like this song, ........

We'll get back with some more amazing tracks soon ..... :)

PS: Do Comment guys ...... :D[NOTE] Earlier we mentioned the name of the singer as Rohan Rathore based on some internet folklores. We do not intend to hurt any sentiments, but since that story is not authentic we refrain from any such claims :)

Ali Zafar is a fabulous singer, who has recently gained a lot of fame by his acting in movie "Tere Bin Laden" and currently shooting with Katrina Kaif for the movie "Mere Brother ki Dulhan". And also he has sold a few of his paintings for the mission "Rebulding Pakistan" after the mass destruction brought by the floods.
Confused?
No, it is only one single person with all these talents. That's why he is not just an on-screen hero, he is an over all hero. He has sung some quite a number of songs in Coke Studio, out of those I begin with my favorite. "Naheen Ray Naheen" is one my favorites from coke studio, the song is simple and heart touching, talks to common man. I feel we all can relate to this song.

The first stanza is for self introspecting, he asks us to look inside us. Where have we come from, and where we are heading to. Are we doing the right things for which we are sent in this life form? but we are not doing this.

Second stanza is for discrimination, most of us try to discriminate ourselves from others on the basis of country, language, religion and much more. But have we known them from inside? that they are also a human like us? Again the answer is no.

Third stanza is for people who complain that there is no god. He says you have defined your god on religious basis, he asks you to talk to him but have you done so? And we have again failed to do so.

Fourth is for people who feel proud for nothing, he asks what have you created?, what have you decorated? God has done everything while you just made stories.

Fifth one is about understanding the other person, respecting his feelings and opinions. He says everyone has his feelings, everyone has his wishes? have you ever tried to look inside his heart? Again no.

Sixth one is for people who keep complaining, Life is miserable, Time is not in favor, Have you ever tried to looked into the reason for all this situation? And again we have failed to do so.

Seventh is about we all have one god, the one who is your God, is my god too. Then why am I punished for not listening to you.

This is definitely one of the best, by Ali Zafar, but there's more to come. :)

P.S. recently there was some fuss about Ali Zafar not recognizing Katrina in a party. And the media was going hype and hoopla about it. In my opinion he is a true artist who doesn't even care about what is happening out side the domain of his work. And it's nothing as of his mistake ;)

Ali Zafar is really a star

Fight Club Song Chorein ki Batein is a copy of Ali Zafar's 'Channo ki aankhen'

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Satinder Sartaj is today’s one of the most renowned punjabi sufi singer. His songs have an element of reality and a heavenly essence. Among all he has sung so far, this song is the closest to my heart.

meri heeriye faqeeriye ni sohniye,

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye...

[ Here sartaj refers his beloved as beautiful heer, he calls himself a 'fakeer', a poor wanderer who has escaped the possessions of mortal world and he calls her as his only possession in the whole world. Her fragrance is intoxicating to him. ]

ho yaad aave teri dekha jado chand main

tu hi dise jado akhaan kara band main

[Whenever I look at the moon I get surrounded by your memories. Whenever I close my eyes, I see you]

mainu lage radha tu te lal nand main

kash tanu v hovan eda pasand main -X2

[ I portray you and me as the eternal pair of Radha and Krishna (of hindu mythology), I wish you will feel the same way for me. ]

kato neend cho jagaya ne paroniye

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye..

[ paroniye means begani (stranger), these words convey that she has left him. Now that she is a stranger for him, he is asking her why has she awaken him up from his dreams (where they were both together and shared an eternal bond). Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye...

dekh gal teri karde ne taare v

naale mare walan karde ishare v

[ Even the stars are talking about you, and while doing so they are pointing towards me ]

ehi yaar mere ehi ne sahare v

par change tere lagde ne laare v -X2

[ Now (when you are not here with me anymore) these stars are my only companions and support, but I still like your false promises (of being together forever) ]

sanu raahan ch na roll lare laouniye

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye...

[ Without you I am homeless, wandering here and there with nowhere to go. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kusboo nashili man mohniye...

keha payia ye pyar wala jaal ni

jithe javaan teri yaad jandi naal ni

[ I am trapped in this mesh of love, where ever I go your memories are always with me ]

eh tan rog main avalla leya paal ni

sham pende hi dinda e dive baal ni

[ It is a strange disease that I have been nurturing, as soon as light of your memories fades away my heart glows another lamp in your name ]

[ I am asking the birds to say something, to reveal to me the secret of whereabouts of my heer ]

tusi jao sachi jao ohnu tolo ni

ja ke phullan wala jungle farolo ni -X2

[ Please go, for once just go and search for her. Look for her in the forest of flowers. The term forest of flowers is quiet impressing. The forest is full of sweet fragrances and this is why he thinks that it is the perfect place for her to hide as no one will be able to distinguish her fragrance from rest of flowers. ]

oh gulab diyan pattiyan ch honi e..

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye..

[ She would be hiding under the petals of rose. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me.

Another great line! He thinks may be the fragrance of rose is due to his heer hiding inside its petals. ]

meri heeriye faqeeriye ne sohniye...

teri kushboo nashili manmohniye...

pehlan polle jehae chain tu chura liya

fer neend nu khwaban de naame la liya

[ Quietly you left my heart restless, and then it was all you in my dreams ]

sada duniya to sath v chhuda liya

fer jhaka jeha de ke muh ghuma liya -X2

[ When I got deeply involved in you it left me detached from the whole world, you inspired me to express my love but then you turned away ]

kiven pune jazbaat sade poniye..

kida pune jazbaat ne tu poniye..

teri kushboo nashili man mohniye..

[ How did you change your emotions about me, what made your heart change so abruptly. Your fragrance is intoxicating to me. ]

Sartaj in the whole song refers himself to be ‘fakeer’ as he has nothing with him except for the memories of his beloved. Now that she is gone, he recalls the sweet fragrance of her that has taken over his heart. Which is given in the phrase “Teri khushbu nashili man mohniye”. It’s when she is gone he is drunk by the effect of her fragrance. Her fragrance is the only memory that he holds with himself, which keeps reminding him of his beloved.

My personal favourites are the parts where he talks to Birds about his heer, and another when he urges her not to listen to his worthless songs and accept his love and assures her that God will support their love.